Politics: PM challenged to match Just Transition Fund investment
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The SNP has challenged both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer to commit to matching the Scottish Government’s £500 million Just Transition Fund.
Stephen Flynn MP, the party’s Westminster leader, has said that if either leader is “serious about a green, renewable future, then matching the Scottish Government’s £500 million Just Transition Fund is imperative”.
It follows the UK’s governments announcement on carbon capture and storage in the north-east of Scotland, after more than a decade of delays.
Commenting, the SNP Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn MP said: “If Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are serious about a green renewable future, then matching the Scottish Government’s £500 million Just Transition Fund is imperative.
“The SNP Scottish Government has shown its ambition by committing £500 million to a Just Transition Fund – but this has to be matched by Westminster.
“Successive UK governments have exploited Scotland’s vast energy resources for decades now to bolster UK finances. They must now take responsibility and work with the Scottish Government to unlock Scotland’s enormous renewable energy potential.
“From the US to the EU, countries across the world are pouring money into the green energy gold rush, but with the UK government moving at a snail’s pace, Scotland risks being left behind.
“At the next election, only the SNP are offering voters a real alternative with independence – which would give a democratically elected Scottish Government full control over energy policy and enable us to ensure the north east becomes the renewable energy capital of the world.
“Scotland has the energy – we just need the power.”
